Ecuador bars entry to Venezuelan political activist

Ecuador on Wednesday denied a Venezuelan activist entry into the country after she admitted she intended to take part in political campaign despite having applied for a tourist visa.

Lilian Tintori, wife of jailed Venezuelan right-wing activist Leopoldo Lopez, was refused entry after landing at the airport shortly before 2 a.m. on a flight from Miami, Florida.

Tintori "was attended by a supervisor given the inconsistencies between her tourist visa and the political proselytising she said she planned on doing," Deputy Minister of Domestic Security Diego Fuentes said at a press conference.

"Mrs. Tintori cannot carry out political proselytising on a tourist visa," Fuentes said, adding that authorities coordinated with American Airlines to arrange her return on the next available flight, which was at 6:45 a.m.

Like most countries, Ecuador bars temporary visitors on tourist visas from participating in domestic political affairs.--Bernama